It is because of its traditional warm hospitality – and the fact that so many of the valley's inhabitants have found their soul mates here among the beautiful locals! – that the borough acquired its nickname, the “Village of Love”.
The beautiful village is located in a sunny position at the opening to the Val Genova, on the southern slopes of Cima Lancia (2317 m). Its name seems to derive from carice (sedge), a plant that once grew abundantly in the area. The old settlement lies on the right bank of the Sarca di Campiglio river, at the foot of the slope whose summit houses the parish church of San Nicola. The fountains in granite (an important factor in the village economy), the sacred murals, granite portals and wooden gable-ends are what make the village so distinctive. Post-war expansion, however, has seen the settlement extend into the alluvial valley floor of the Sarca di Genova.
Close to the village, at the top of the cliff overlooking the Sarca, is the ancient church of Santo Stefano. It has existed since 1368 and was rebuilt in the 16th century. On the south wall are the famous frescoes depicting the life of St Stephen, the Dance Macabre and the Seven Deadly Sins, all painted by Simone Baschenis in 1519. Inside, an interesting fresco depicts a catechumen being baptised by a pope in the presence of Charlemagne. The work purportedly documents the legend of Charlemagne's passage through Val Rendena.
High on a cliff on the southern slopes of Cima Lancia sits the distinctive whitened form of the church of San Martino. The building is of medieval origin and was presided over by a hermit until 1850.
Carisolo municipal territory is the starting point of the road that rises to Val Genova, until just before the evocative Nàrdis waterfalls.
